


Keep Yourself Alive

by ForOurMoony



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fix-It, M/M, Remus Lupin Lives, Sirius Black Lives, wolfstar, wolfstar parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:13:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29229792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForOurMoony/pseuds/ForOurMoony
Summary: The night Ron's rat reveals himself to be a grown man is strange in more ways than one, but Harry Potter is used to strange and he can put up with strange if it means he gets a Godfather and a home where people love him.Remus takes his potion the night in the Shack, Pettigrew is questioned and Sirius is proven innocent.Wolfstar. Eventual Drarry, slowburn.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Keep Yourself Alive

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, here with a good old-fashioned Harry Potter fix-it fic because I've been really in my feels over the Marauders recently and I re-discovered this work I started writing in 2018 and figured I might as well continue it.

As Harry and Sirius carry a still bleeding and whimpering Ron from the Shrieking Shack the dark-haired boy is, quite frankly, elated. Things in the Shack couldn’t have gone any better in Harry’s opinion; Sirius hasn’t spent the year trying to kill him, he didn’t give up information that killed his parents and he didn’t murder one of their best friends. A nice added bonus is that Remus looks slightly less tortured as a result of hearing the truth. 

“I am sorry about your leg, normally my aim as a dog is quite good.” Harry beams at Sirius who lets out a laugh and smiles back at his Godson, Ron attempts a smile but ends up with something more akin to a grimace. 

Hermione, Remus and Snape follow behind the three with Peter in the middle of them, his hands securely tied and three wands trained on him at all times. 

They emerge from the tunnel and find Crookshanks has once again stopped the tree from beating them all into the ground. 

“You know, I think I might like your cat after all Hermione.” The bushy haired girl rolls her eyes as if to say ‘I told you he was smart’ but the small smile on her face is a tell-tale sign that Ron’s acceptance of her beloved pet is appreciated. 

Harry and Sirius lower Ron to the ground so that he can rest before they make the final trip back to the castle, Hermione takes the opportunity to look over his leg and assess the damage. A few paces behind them Snape and Remus get into a rather heated debate about the best course of action to take with Wormtail, but Harry’s attention is trained on Sirius, watching thoughtfully as his Godfather gazes up at Hogwarts. 

For all that he has been through, and the hardships he has suffered over the years living with the Dursley’s, Harry can’t help but to feel a bit hopeful, that maybe, after all this time someone has finally come along that he’ll be allowed to stay with. Someone who actually cares for him. 

As if reading his thoughts Sirius turns to the boy and asks if staying with him would be something Harry would like. The young boy has to will himself not to cry as he replies, although he is extremely choked up so his voice is a dead giveaway as to just how much this means to him. Yes, he would like that very much. Sirius claps a hand on his shoulder and looks as though he’s about to say something else when Hermione shouts for Harry. 

The two of them rush back to the group where they see Remus’ eyes locked on the full moon as it emerges from behind the dark clouds. Sirius begins to panic, urging the kids to get back to the castle as quickly as they can before Snape raises a single hand effectively stopping the commotion. 

The potions master’s face is decidedly calm. “Black get a hold of yourself. He has taken his potion, we are in no danger.” All the while his gaze remains on Wormtail, which Harry is extremely grateful for. In the panic of realising Remus was changing in front of them he had forgotten entirely about Pettigrew. 

Remus, now in full werewolf form, gives them a glance and with a slight nod runs off into the forest. Harry turns to Sirius, confused as to why Remus would leave if the potion allows him to remain sane as a werewolf. “That’s Moony, always overly cautious. He’s no threat but he wouldn’t stay around you kids anyway, just in case.” Sirius rolls his eyes but his smile is fond and Harry senses that there may be more than just friendship between his Dad’s best friends, especially if they way they had hugged in the Shrieking Shack was anything to go by.

~

Dumbledore is waiting for them at the doors when they arrive, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall at his side. Hermione accompanies Ron to the hospital wing to have his leg healed while Dumbledore escorts the others to his office so that they can explain what has happened. 

Harry is quite sure that Dumbledore already knows everything even before Sirius once again explains why he made the last-minute decision not to become his parent’s secret keeper. At least Harry thinks must be the case because he can’t imagine that McGonagall would be too happy about the Head Master inviting an escaped convicted prisoner into the castle for tea and biscuits otherwise. 

After his Godfather finishes explaining Harry confirms the events that took place in the Shack and Dumbledore turns his attention to Snape and Peter. 

“Severus, I believe it would be best for the minister to be present for Mr Pettigrew’s confession.” Snape nods his agreement as Dumbledore addresses the portraits behind him, asking a few to visit their other paintings so as to get in touch with the Minister. Once he has finished he turns back to Harry and Sirius with a smile. “Sirius, how about we get you cleaned up?” 

Harry watches as Sirius’ entire body relaxes. “There is nothing I would like more Professor. Twelve years without a hot shower can drive a man mad.” Sirius winks at his Godson causing Harry to snort with laughter, McGonagall shakes her head fondly. 

It must be very strange for her, Harry thinks, to have believed all these years that one of her own Gryffindors, one whom she had been rather fond of, had betrayed two of his dearest friends. To go from that to having him now stood in front of her once again must be eerily reminiscent of a time gone by.

“Minerva, would you escort Sirius to the prefect bath? I think they should be empty at this time of night. Harry, you are welcome to accompany them of course, unless you would rather go and check on Mr Weasley?” Harry takes the Headmaster up on his offer to spend more time with Sirius, besides he thinks that Hermione will probably be enjoying her ‘I told you so’ moment with Ron right now after he’s spent a whole year insulting her cat. “I’ll have the house elves bring you some fresh clothes Sirius.” Following repeated statements of gratitude from Sirius the three of them make their way to the prefect bathroom, McGonagall leading up the front. 

Harry’s Head of House tells them that she will wait outside the door and keep watch in case any out of bed students appear. The two men enter the bathroom and Harry is shocked at how grand it is, he’d heard stories about the Prefect Baths from older students and Ron, who had heard them from his brothers, but the stories don’t really do justice to just how impressive it is in person. 

“Never been in here before?” Harry shakes his head, looking now at the large picture of a mermaid on the wall. “I honestly don’t think I’ve been in a bath as good as this after leaving Hogwarts, you know, for those three years when I was still a free man.” Sirius laughs at his joke but there’s an undeniable sadness there also. 

Not wishing to dwell on anything too heavy Harry wanders around the room looking at the various different taps as Sirius lets the bath fill before getting in and immediately dunking his head underwater. He comes to the surface again, flipping his hair back so that the water splashes dramatically around him and he lets out a triumphant laugh. 

“Don’t ever take hygiene for granted Harry.” He tells the younger boy with a massive grin on his face while scrubbing a generous amount of shampoo into his hair. “My hair was my best feature when I was young, all of the girls loved me for it.” Harry shakes his head with a small laugh but quickly gets distracted staring at the black image of a wolf branded on Sirius’ chest. 

“You have a tattoo?” Harry questions, looking away as Sirius climbs out of the bath, choosing to watch the mermaid on the wall again. She’s looking at them both with curiosity and she waves at Harry when she catches him looking at her. 

“I do. I got it right after I left Hogwarts. Your dad came with me, although he thought I was mental for wanting it in the first place.” His tone is full of nostalgia and great deal of sadness, Harry feels bad for asking about it now. Sirius is dressed in proper clothes now, he looks more alive and human after his bath, there is a bit more colour in his face. “How do I look?” He holds his hands out beside him, raising an eyebrow at Harry in question. 

“Much better.” 

~

It’s strange how quickly Harry feels comfortable around Sirius, the only other person he felt such an instant connection with was Ron back when they were eleven. He supposes that it has to do with how well Sirius knew his mum and dad, from the few small things he has heard so far it sounds as though Sirius was as close to his dad as Harry is to Ron. 

He's trying, and failing miserably, not to get his hopes up but Harry has the distinct feeling that this could be the start of something important. Sirius has already mentioned Harry coming to live with him and his deepest desires couldn’t even compare to that reality. He so desperately wants to get to know his Godfather better and to hear more about his parents, and mostly he wants to spend a summer not being made to feel like scum by his aunt, uncle and cousin.

McGonagall walks Sirius back to Dumbledore’s office where he gives Harry a strong hug ruffling his hair affectionately before they part and Harry goes to join his friends in the Hospital Wing at the request of Madam Pomfrey.

Hermione is sitting on a chair beside Ron’s bed when Harry walks in. Madam Pomfrey is on him in an instant insisting on checking Harry over, despite his protests that he’s okay, before she is satisfied with letting him see his friends. 

Ron is fast asleep and snoring when he walks over to them, his leg bandaged and propped up on several pillows. Hermione fills him in on what happened and he’s glad to hear that the bite wasn’t too deep and should completely heal in the next day or so. Harry in turn tells Hermione everything that happened with Sirius, Dumbledore and Peter. 

When he tells her about how close he feels to his godfather already and about Sirius asking Harry to come and live with him her reaction makes tears threaten to spill over again. “Harry, that’s amazing.” She grips his hand tightly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’m so happy for you.” 

Harry generally isn’t one to initiate hugs, but tonight has been emotional and he feels an overwhelming surge of affection towards the girl in front of him. Reaching out towards her Harry pulls them close together, his face getting smothered by her hair. “Hermione, sometimes I don’t know what I would do without you and Ron. You two were my first proper family. I really love you, you know that?” Hermione doesn’t respond, just buries her face in Harry’s shoulder and squeezes him tighter. 

Eventually Madam Pomfrey returns to force Harry and Hermione into beds of their own, giving each of them a sleeping draught with clear orders to get some rest. She walks away muttering to herself about how children shouldn’t be getting into life or death situations as frequently as they do, and it puts a smile on Harry’s face to know that the Medi-Witch cares so deeply for her students. 

Harry drifts to sleep thinking about all of the good things in his life; his amazing friends, the Weasley’s who treat him as one of their own, the home he has at Hogwarts with friends and professors who care about him, and now he has the possibility of another home with his Godfather. 

His Godfather who spent twelve years in the worst prison in the world but came out relatively unscathed all things considered. While they were walking back from the Prefect’s bath Sirius had told Harry that the only thing which had kept him sane in his cell surrounded by dementors was the knowledge that he was innocent, and that one day he would get out so that he could make sure that Harry knew the truth about what happened. 

Harry falls asleep with a smile on his lips and feeling lighter than he has in a while. 

~

The next morning Harry wakens to find Ron and Hermione talking with Sirius and Dumbledore. He can tell from the way Hermione’s jaw is set that something bad has happened, and Ron is close to yelling if the red flush of his skin is anything to go by. 

Harry rolls out of bed and walks over to the group, he’s greeted by Sirius first who pulls him into a hug and tells him ‘good morning’ quite cheerfully, a stark comparison to the way Ron and Hermione huff out their greetings. 

“What happened?” He asks the inevitable, but before Ron can start what would probably have been a rant Dumbledore answers him. 

“After Sirius returned to my office last night Professor Snape used Veritaserum on Mr Pettigrew in the presence of the Minister and the head Auror in order to get an official and entirely truthful confession, so as to clear Sirius’ name. Thankfully we got the statement and Sirius has been officially cleared of all charges.” Harry looks up at Sirius with a bright smile which his Godfather returns. 

“That’s great! That’s what we wanted isn’t it? So why are these two so angry?” It’s Hermione who looks as though she is about to start a rant this time, but once again she is cut off by Dumbledore. 

“You are quite right Harry, we are most pleased that your Godfather can now live as the free man he always was. However-”

“They lost Pettigrew!” Hermione cuts the Headmaster off. “Can you believe it? Two Aurors, including the head Auror, are escorting him to Azkaban, where he was to await trial, when he escapes! Escapes! How can two Aurors let someone escape?” She throws her hands in the air in frustration and lets out a huff, falling back to sit in her chair, arms firmly crossed and a look of annoyance etched deep in her features. 

Harry looks to the two adults for confirmation and Sirius tells him basically what Hermione had said, only with less yelling. 

“Well I’m sure he’ll be found soon enough; the main thing is that you’re free.” Harry smiles at Sirius again.

In his mind he knows that Pettigrew escaping is a problem they’ll need to tackle, but right now Harry doesn’t care. Right now, all that matters to him is that Sirius can live as a free man and he can get to know him better. 

“For the time being, if you are feeling rested enough I believe it would be best for you all to return to your common room. There are more than a few waiting to hear what happened judging by the group Madam Pomfrey had to dismiss this morning.” There’s a twinkle in Dumbledore’s eye telling the three Gryffindors that he enjoys the curiosity of their fellow house mates. 

“I’m going to check in on Remus, it always takes him a few days to get back on his feet after a full moon. Then I have some things to see to, so I might not see you for a few days but I’ll be in touch okay?” Harry nods. Sirius ruffles his hair once more, hugging him again and then leaving to go and see Remus. 

Despite Sirius’ promise Harry feels slightly apprehensive about that fact that he didn’t mention Harry coming to live with him again. He decides to trust Sirius and push the thought from his mind for now, he said he would be in touch and Harry has to trust that he will. After all, he has just spent the past twelve years in Azkaban, it’s natural that he has to go and see to some things. 

When the three of them reach the common room they hardly get a foot through the doorway when their friends descend on them demanding answers. 

~

Sirius pushes down the door handle of Remus’ private rooms and is glad to find it unlocked. He makes his way into the living area smiling at the organised mess which is so distinctive of Remus. There’s a door to the left of the living room which is slightly ajar, Sirius walks over and gives it a small push so that it swings open to reveal Remus fast asleep on top of his bed. 

A smile graces his features as he looks over Remus, he knows that a lot can change in twelve years but hopes that the love he still feels for his old friend is still reciprocated.

Remus rolls over with a groan, his eyes opening and focusing on Sirius’ figure in the doorway. “Hi Padfoot.” 

“Alright Moony?” Remus smirks fondly watching the man in enter the room, twelve years in Azkaban and Sirius still has as much attitude dripping from him as he did when they were teenagers. However, the nonchalant way he was greeted isn’t fooling Remus. He knows Sirius too well for that. 

Without another word Remus lifts a hand from the bed, offering it to Sirius, which he grasps tightly moving to sit on the bed beside the other man. 

“Remus…” Sirius begins, his voice thick with emotion. 

He shushes the dark-haired man softly, running his thumb across the back of Sirius’ hand. “We have a lot to talk about, but right now I’m exhausted. So, if you want, get into bed, let me sleep and we’ll talk later.” 

Sirius doesn’t need to be asked twice. He kicks off his shoes and climbs under the covers so that he’s facing Remus’ back. Silently Remus moves back into Sirius’ familiar embrace encouraging the man to wrap his arms around him. 

“I never stopped loving you.” Sirius whispers into Remus’ neck. 

Remus lets his eyes fall closed, his body relaxing against Sirius. “I’ve always loved you. Always will.” 

~

The end of year feast comes and goes and before long Harry is back on the Hogwarts express sitting in a compartment with Hermione, Neville, and the Weasleys, and feeling thoroughly miserable. It had been more than a few days, he still hadn’t heard from Sirius and he was currently on his way back to his awful relatives wishing more than anything that Sirius will be waiting for him on the platform. 

His friends give him space to sulk, knowing a bit about what the Dursley’s are like from the little that Harry has told them. 

To Harry’s dismay, but not surprise, Sirius is not waiting for him on the platform to take him away for an actually enjoyable summer. He says goodbye to his friends, promising to write as much as possible before leaving to go back to what he considers to be hell.


End file.
